A 19-YEAR-OLD man who died after being suspected of having taken an MDMA pill was a student at Coventry University.
The man, who has not been named but whose family have been informed, became ill at The Assembly in Leamington in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was rushed to Warwick Hospital where he later died.
A Coventry University spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we have learned that one of our students has died and another is in hospital after a night out in Leamington.
“Our thoughts are with their families and friends at this awful time. We will not be disclosing details about the students and ask that the privacy of the families is respected.
“We are liaising closely with the police and are working to provide all the support we can to everyone concerned.
“We would urge all our students to read and follow the urgent advice contained in the police statement, which we have shared.”
A 22-year-old woman is in a serious condition in hospital after also being suspected of having taken MDMA, the active drug in ecstasy.
A number of others attending the drum and bass student event, which finished at 4am, were also admitted to hospital after suffering adverse effects.
Police, who were called to the Spencer Street venue around 5am, stressed the drugs may not have been purchased in the Spencer Street venue and have issued a warning.
Det Supt Pete Hill from Warwickshire Police said: “At this time we believe the tablet taken is a red hexagonal pill named ‘Red Bull’, which is believed to be MDMA, and we are concerned there may be others who have also taken this.
“Whilst the cause of death has not been confirmed and we are keeping an open mind as to whether the substance caused a bad reaction or an overdose, we would advise anyone who has also taken it to seek medical advice.
“We would also ask anyone who purchased any pills but have not yet taken them to please safely dispose of them.
“If others were at the same event last night and are aware their friends took this drug, please check in on them to ensure they are ok. If anyone requires urgent health advice, please contact your GP or call 111. In an emergency, please visit A&E or call 999.”
Anyone with information which could assist with the investigation is urged to call Warwickshire Police on 101 quoting incident 63 of 1 February 2020.
Bosses at The Assembly were quick to reiterate their zero policy to drugs.
A statement issued by the venue, said: “We take the wellbeing of our customers extremely seriously, we continue to work closely with Warwickshire Police and reiterate our zero policy on drugs in our venue.”